Noreen Bad News .338 Lapua semi-auto

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I think this is the right place to post this...it does run on an enlarged AR platform, it is semi-automatic, so I believe it counts as a "black rifle".

I've been doing some long distant target shooting with some of my friends who have Barrett, McMillan, and a few others both in 300 WM and in .338 Lapua.

When I first shot the .338 Lapua, I had such a smile on my face you could still see it two weeks later. Most of my friends were shooting at distances between 800 and 1000 yards. The 300 WM is no joke, and it can really reach out and touch you. But the .338 Lapua...completely different ball park all together. It's a beast of a cartridge and a super flat shooter.

So as I'm doing the research for a nice long range rifle, I looked at Barrett, McMillan, Remington (700), Weatherby, etc. While looking at all the different rifles that come chambered in .338 Lapua, I stumbled across the Bad News. 10 rounds of .338 Lapua in SEMI-AUTOMATIC sounds like a blast and a half...especially on an AR platform.

The rifle is available in both 300 WM and .338 Lapua. I know most of you are probably saying it's best to stick with the 300 WM, because of ammo prices and availability. But I'm going to start learning how to roll my own ammo...I have a nasty .308 and 10mm habit anyway, and with the rise in ammo prices....it's the logical thing to do. And I have garbage bags full of brass.

Besides, shooting the Lapua was perhaps some of the most fun I had with a rifle....I can't imagine 10 rounds in semi-auto. Question is....is it worth $5K+? Looking at $7K total with the right glass. I did some research and I read that the rifle did have a few bugs when it first came out, but now all the bugs are fixed. Dono.

Here she is....

Thoughts? Worth $5k+....or get a turn bolt of some kind? And at 13lbs, I shouldn't have that much of a problem hunting BIG game like elk.

If I end up taking the bolt path, I think I'd probably go with a McMillan....but the Barretts look mean and shoot great. Something about the McMillan though, felt perfect shooting it. I wish I could test fire one of these Bad News rifles to make up my mind....$5K is a HUGE investment for me...and adding an extra long range rifle to the collection sounds like a great idea....as I don't have one. Oh....and if by chance there is some new AWB, I might not be able to buy one of these in the future.

For those of you familiar with the rifle, the current prices I'm seeing range between $5K - $5500 without glass. Is this price typical, or overpriced like anything related to a "black rifle" these days? Is the current price inflated due to the current "climate"? I'd like to know what this rifle was selling for 6 months ago or so.

I would go with a bolt gun personally, with ammo that pricey you are going to want to savor every shot lol. I have only shot a 338 Lapua once and it was when Savage was hosting a demo at my outdoor range. I got to shoot the model 110BA a few times, and man was it cool! I think they cost around $2k. You might be able to find the 110FCP for around $1500. Sorry I don't have too much more to offer other than "I shot one and it was awesome" but it was

I never heard of this of this rifle...and it's got me thinking twice now!! Price would be almost the same, give or take a few hundred.

Having a rifle chambered in .338 LM and is only about 28" in OAL and will work fine at 1000+ yards sounds yummy. I could also get the longer .338 LM barrel for further shooting if needed...and could even buy a .308 set up for it to practice with at shorter distances.

But still....10 rounds in semi-auto sounds like soooo much fun. Hmmm....what to do?!?

In a long range rifle the need for a semi-auto is mostly mitigated. Now with a harder recoiling cartridge like a .300 Win Mag or a .338 Laupua the advantage of the semi-auto action is is reduces recoil (at the expense of weight).

But you won't shoot it any faster and I can keep pace on any timed course at 600 and beyond with any semi-auto with a bolt gun. The thing that takes time at that distance isn't cycling the action its recovering from recoil and settling back down into position for a carefully aimed shot. From a theoretical standpoint the semi-auto should still have the advantage. From a practical standpoint the mechanics and efficiency of th machine still default to the biggest bottleneck in the whole equation and that's the trigger jerker. In 30 years of Highpower and other rifle competition with several state and regional championships and having shot right next to world record holding names I've NEVER seen anyone come close to shooting to the mechanical potential of their gun. Not once...

Me personally, I'd opt for a bolt gun in .338 unless I was shooting in competition that restricted my ammo choice. Cost isn't an issue if you roll your own (which I do). But I seriously don't need and won't shoot such a rifle. Too many other shooting interests and if truth be told shooting targets anything past 300 yards is a pain in the ass unless you have a well schooled spotter, a spotting scope that costs as much as the gun, or access to a range with pull targets. Shooting such a rig at 100-200 yards is pointless.

While an AR in either of those calibers is interesting. I shudder to think of the weight involved.

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